Posted on 11/08/2004 8:34:41 AM PST by Cagey
I just got off the phone with my younger brother, Bryce. We had a great talk. He's 20 years old and lives in the twilight zone of Mobile, Ala., surrounded by a populace celebrating "the victory." He feels pretty isolated - - as if everyone else is taking crazy pills.
We talked about his reasons for choosing not to vote. They were rooted in a sincere distrust of the Electoral College. I think he's onto something. Have you ever tried convincing an anti-George W. Bush 20-year-old in Mobile, Ala., to vote? Why his vote counts? Ever tried to convince him that a convoluted system like the Electoral College will actually be voting for him, and that he's just gonna have to trust them on that? Harder than you think.
Bryce is such a brilliant guy, who cares so much about the world and wants so much more justice and freedom for it than it has today. He recognizes that multitudes are living in fear of terrorism, fear of gays, fear of apocalypse, and they acted on those fears at the voting booths in his state.
So I realized he isn't who we should be pointing our finger at. Respect and trust are things we as adults expect others to earn from us over time by consistently demonstrating to us their ability to deliver. Why would we expect young people to bestow such precious things as trust and respect to a political system that fails them every day? Fails to pay its bills. Fails to achieve peace. Fails to repair crumbling schools. Fails to fire up their burned-out teachers or equip their new ones with textbooks in their language. Fails to loan them enough money for education.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Bryce would make a fantastic Miss America contestant.
No. Why would I?
But apparently not sharp enough to move.
He's not sounding so brilliant.
Cry me a Kerrying river already. Listen libs get over it, GWB won.
Oh yes. He sounds like quite the genius.
Hey Bryce... If you're too stupid to pay attention in civics class, or do a bit of self-education on your own (that doesn't involve Chomsky or Mikey Moore), how is your ignorance anyone else's fault but your own?
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Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) react after he delivered his concession speech 03 November 2004 in Boston, MA. Kerry urged newly re-elected US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) to heal the anger and rancor cleaving America.(AFP/File/Hector Mata) |
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And the Electorial College is not going to be changed so California and New York can win every election.
The author makes a brilliant point. California should immediately switch to a system of proportional representation in the Electoral College. We could call it "Bryce's Law".
The really interesting thing about the EC system.... is that I remember in the days leading up to the 2000 election.... the press was anticipating that Gore might win the EC and loose the election. And that was just fine, because it was the way our system worked. That Hillary would be a viable candidate someday because of the EC system. Nobody had a problem with it, until it kept Gore out. Since then they've been torqued.
And I'm sure that Bryce is SOOOO different from all the
other 20yr olds who have come down the pike over the
last 50 yrs.... All those original ideas on how
to make the world the perfect Utopian society!
You know the gameplan by now!! Take from the rich,
give to the poor, tolerate EVERYTHING even attacks
on your country, hate America, etc.
I guess this author never thought to analyze how
a republican living in say, NYC feels.
The knife cuts both ways. Get over it.
MV
I am so sick of media making as though my state (and the entire South) is just the cesspool of idiots, backwards fools and ignorant racists. It just isn't so. I am quite familiar with Mobile, and this kid should have no problem walking to the poll and casting a vote. It's not as though people are guarding the polls demanding to know who you are voting for.
Maybe it's something like trying to convince an anti-Kerry person of any age to vote in California, New York, or Massachusetts? Certainly there must be questions about how much their votes will count toward the electoral college too. But...they still count.
Idiots, what a foolish way to look at it all.
Why do I suspect the author is more concerned that little brother might grow up a conservative. Once you escape from the daily indoctrination and hate from behind the socialist liberal curtain, you might be inclined to think for yourself.
Yep... without the EC you'd have 47% of the country feeling like poor little Bryce.
So we need a political system that is everything to everybody and then Bryce can vote? Let me know where that place is.
Actually… I’m glad Bryce didn’t vote
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